Ornament Trees, Spiderman, and a Code Adam

I could tell by the fine paper, guests, and location (a beautiful and historic hotel downtown) that this was a high-brow event. As a mostly-stay-at-home mother, my wardrobe is the opposite of high-brow. I refuse to ruin decent clothes with the snot-kisses and jam-hugs of motherhood. I had nothing appropriate for fine dinner with the wealthy empty-nesters of our city. Shopping lay in my immediate future.

Until my little guy wrapped his arms around one of those conical trees and kissed it. Nothing like a toddler to ruin my Norman Rockwell moment.

“How cute” cooed the store employee handing out coupons (only good if you have a store charge card) as I extracted him from the fragile decor.

I took a deep cleansing breath, muttered, “Ready, set, go!” and dove into the racks like a robot on fast-forward. Seconds later, arms loaded with anything remotely likely to fit, I stopped.

[Where was that boy? How could he disappear so fast?]

I called his name.

Nothing.

[Dang it. Why won’t he ever answer me when I call?]

The light-up feature is supposed to make the child easier to find.

I crawled on my hands and knees, searching under the hems for Lightning McQueen light-up snowboots. I even used my stern You’re-In-Trouble-Now voice.

Nothing.

[Crap. He’s really gone this time.]

“Have you seen a little boy in a red coat and Lightning McQueen snowboots?” I began asking shoppers and employees.

Two women joined me dissecting banks of clothes, hoping he was playing hide-and-seek inside the suit coats and Christmas sweaters.

No boy.

Maybe he decided to kiss another ornament tree. I knew the employee at the entrance would remember him. She called a floor manager over, while I checked the racks near the doors.

Then, I heard a voice over the loudspeaker.

“Attention, shoppers. We have a Code Adam*. We’re looking for a little boy wearing a red coat and Lightning McQueen snow boots.”

[FanTAStic. Another one for the “experiences I never dreamed I’d have” list.]

I heard him before he appeared, describing the Spiderman watch he wanted me to buy. He was strutting between two men in dress shirts, ties, and bemused smiles, two floor supervisors, and the stock girl who found him “shopping” in the kids toys. Unbelievable. He had them all wrapped around his little finger.

“Code Adam canceled.”

P.S. I did find a jacket and shirt to wear to the dinner, and even got it home without one trace of snot.

*I have to thank J.C. Penney for implementing this procedure for finding lost children. I was impressed and incredibly thankful for how quickly they found my son.

4 Comments

It is reassuring to know that I am not alone in having a young son who vanishes so stealthily and quickly! Scary stuff for sure! So glad he was found safe and sound. My boy needs a new pair of snowboots, and he loves Lightning McQueen, will have to shop around for those, and most likely will do the shopping online! Lol!

When my nephew (now 21) was 18 months old he crawled swiftly out from under the dressing room where my sister was trying on clothes. Stinker! It was in JCPenney too, as a matter of fact. OMG! We were frantic and it was in a mall and of course we were in the section closest to the mall opening. ARGH! We finally did find him in a rack of clothes, but I have never been so scared. It seemed like forever.